Disability Inclusion Facilitators: young changemakers putting inclusion into action

Are you a leader, policy maker or ally? Do you want to improve disability inclusion within your field of work?

Many organisations want to be more inclusive but don’t know how.   

Read on to learn how Disability Inclusion Facilitators provide the knowledge and strategies to turn good intentions into action. Young people with disabilities are creating real and sustainable inclusion in the world of work and beyond. 

Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs) are young people with disabilities who are trained to drive disability inclusion in mainstream workplaces, institutions and development programmes. They provide awareness training, expert guidance, hands-on support, tools and resources to ensure that inclusion is not just a policy, but a lived and sustainable practice. 

“I’m really proud of our Disability Inclusion Facilitators, who are creating long-lasting sustainable impact,” says Ambrose Murangira, Senior Expert in Disability Inclusion at Light for the World.  

“This approach has proven that when young people with disabilities take the lead, organisations become more inclusive, workplaces become more accessible, and communities become more equitable.”

Since its inception, the DIF approach has delivered tangible results, with the approach pioneered in several African countries. 

From the beginning, the DIF approach delivered tangible results through the Make 12.4% Work Programme in Uganda, with over 150 organisations commiting to disabilitiy inclusion at work, more than 3,200 professionals trained on disability awareness and inclusive programming, and over 7,000 young people with disabilities supported to access skills development and employment opportunities. 

“These numbers tell only part of the story,” says Ambrose.  

“Behind every statistic is a real impact — an employer who realises the value of hiring inclusively, a teacher who adapts their methods to be accessible, or a young person with a disability who finds meaningful work.” 

Because of these successes, the approach is being scaled up through the We Can Work programme. Together with Mastercard Foundation and the African Disability Forum, young people with disabilities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. are being trained as DIFs to lead systemic change in the field of employment. 

What makes the DIF approach so powerful?  

The Disability Inclusion Facilitator approach has three core principles: self-advocacy, value of lived experiences and ability in action. 

1. Value of lived experience. DIFs understand firsthand the barriers faced by people with disabilities in their daily lives. This makes them uniquely positioned to advocate for practical, effective solutions based on real examples. 

“We’re young people with disabilities and we have lived experiences of how disability and the challenges we face day by day affect us in our daily living,” says Naome  Akwee, a Disability Inclusion Facilitator in Uganda and star in our #CommitToInclusion campaign. 

“Being a Disability Inclusion Facilitator puts us at the forefront to drive change.”  

2. Ability in action. DIFs challenge stereotypes, change perceptions and prove that young persons with disabilities have abilities to drive the change they want in their communities and that disability inclusion benefits everyone. 

“With education, advocacy and hearing from people with disabilities, we challenge preconceived notions and create greater understanding and respect,” says Naome. 

3. Self-advocacy. “Nothing about us without us” is central to the DIF model. By actively involving young people with disabilities, the model creates a strong platform for them to participate in decisions and programmes that affect their lives, and working directly with OPDs is essential in creating sustainable change.  

Light for the World, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, and other partners are continuously working together to refine the approach — extending training, formalising certification and developing strong mechanisms for quality control.

The DIF model is evolving beyond inclusive economic empowerment, livelihood and employment. Today, DIFs are also working in humanitarian action, business development, sexual and reproductive health, governance and rural economic transformation. 

Pioneered by Light for the World and rooted in structures of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), the DIF approach has become present across several African countries, including Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan and Uganda, as well as India and Bangladesh. 

DIFs work in programmes covering everything from inclusive employment in We Can Work and Inclusive Futures, to inclusive agriculture in  SPARK. With over 100 DIFs now active in 11 countries, the movement is gaining momentum. 

Looking ahead, the focus will be on: 

Disability Inclusion Facilitators are proving that young people with disabilities are leaders. Their work is breaking barriers, transforming systems, and creating a more inclusive world. 

So, how can you support this movement? 

To find out more about the DIF Approach and hear directly from DIFs, check out our #CommitToInclusion campaign at this link.

To get involved, please share using #CommitToInclusion and tag @Light for the World so we can follow the conversation online. 

For more information, check out the Disability Inclusion Facilitators Learning Brief.